Wax Wings
by Painting Clouds
Summary: You know the story of the boy Icarus who flew too close to the sun? Well, that's what happened to me. I flew too high, making my wings melt before plummeting to my death. But, maybe dying wasn't really a bad thing. I mean, I did get a second chance, after all. Kenpachi/OC
1. Stranger in a Strange Land

**Wax Wings**  
><em>by: Painting Clouds<em>

* * *

><p>Summary: You know the story of the boy Icarus who flew too close to the sun? Well, that's what happened to me. I flew too high, making my wings melt before plummeting to my death. But, maybe dying wasn't really a bad thing. I mean, I did get a second chance, after all. KenpachiOC

* * *

><p>i.<br>Stranger in a Strange Land

_This land is not my own, therefore I am a stranger._

_._

The way I died was quite cliché and overrated.

I was twenty-eight and a professional underground MMA fighter. My life was okay. My day job consisted of a waitressing position at a local restaurant called Dickie's. My romantic life was nonexistent and I had no intention of having one anytime soon. The prime of my life was now, and I refused to let some guy, who wanted to have a committed relationship, ruin it; or, that's what I thought.

My opponent was beaten and I had won the championship. I was dubbed as 'undefeated'. I thought of it as true.

I remembered that the walk to my dressing room was a short one, blurred by the crowd's cheering and the constant ushering of my manager, a greasy man who declared he was in a gang or something. I didn't care about his life; all that mattered was that he did his job and received forty percent of my winnings. He left me on my own, and that was when it happened.

Footsteps. A click of a gun. Pain. Then, nothing.

My surroundings became a blur of darkness, and I knew then that I was dead. Flashbacks of my life came forth, dashing across my eyelids; and believe me when I say that I did not want to relive my past. A hush silence fell and judgement came down like an anvil and crushed my lungs. My body went through a series of twists and pulls, like I was being pulled through a tiny hole in the wall. Then, all was calm again.

I could feel soft grass underneath my body, a gentle breeze that only the night could provide washed over me, embracing me and making my bones ache. As my eyes opened, hazy balls of light flooded my vision. It took me a moment to realize that the 'hazy balls of light' were fireflies. Pulling myself into a sitting position, I stared at my surroundings in awe. A lake shimmered a few feet away from me, reflecting the moon's shine. The soft glow of the fireflies gave a warmth to the plant life as the stars winked. Rolling hills were painted in the distance.

_This must be heaven_, I concluded, catching a lightening bug when it was flying past my eyes. I inspected the small insect as it crawled across my palm, the light flashing periodically. After a few seconds, the firefly departed from my hand and flew away. "Hm. I never thought I would get into heaven."

"You're not the only one," a voice quipped behind me.

I whipped my head so fast I swear that my whole spine cracked. There, just four feet away from me, stood a tall, lean man with dark hair in a black kimono. I got to my feet quick, analyzing the stranger fully. To be completely honest, he was nice to look at. His grey eyes were sharp and intense —no doubt on guard— as he regarded me suspiciously. Three scars were etched onto the right side of his face, leading from his eye to his jawline. A blue-striped tattoo ran over his left cheek and over the bridge of his nose. The number 69 was also tattooed on his left cheek, right under the blue strip.

"Who're you?" I demanded, taking a step back when I saw some kind of sword glint dangerously on his hip. "Where am I?"

He brought his hands up, signaling me to calm down. "Calm down, nothing's going to help if you get all riled up." I evened my breathing, but that didn't mean that I didn't keep my guard up. "To answer your questions, my name is Shūhei Hisagi and you're in the Soul Society."

"Soul Society?"

"It's an afterlife where most souls dwell until they are reincarnated into the Human World."

My eyes fell to the ground. "So I really am dead, huh?"

"It would seem so."

Clenching my fist, I felt warm tears running down my face. I didn't try wiping them away since one tear came right after the other, pouring from my eyes to the ground. _This isn't fair! _A broken sob broke its way through my shaking lips as I fell to the ground, the news of my death hitting me full force. All that ran through my mind was how I could have prevented my demise. _Should_ and _could haves'_, along with _ifs' _and _maybes'_ filled my head, starting from my days in the orphanage to my adult life. Why didn't I just try to make a better life? I could be at home right now with a husband and children if I had never went to the underground fights. A hand landed on my shoulder, squeezing it in a comforting manner. Looking through fuzzy sight of my eyes, I saw the sympathetic frown on Shūhei's lips.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

I pulled away from his touch, gaining the balance my legs lost, and wiping away the tears from my face. "What do you have to be sorry for? It's not like your the one who killed me." I stared around for a moment before asking, "What do I do now?"

"Well," he started then paused, a thoughtful expression coloring his face. "What is your name?"

"Icarus Young."

He stared at me for a long while, the night wind encircling us both. "I'll escort you to a village nearby."

I nodded. "Thank you."

I followed Shūhei to a small town, who then proceeded to get an older woman by the name of Kitsumi to take me in. She gladly did so, ushering me in and giving me a new change clothes and a place to sleep. Before he left, Shūhei spoke to Kitsumi, their hushed whispers muffled by the wooden door separating me from them. After he was finished talking to the older woman, the young man came and said goodbye, wishing me the best of luck; I told him the same.

I laid in my cot that night, the events of earlier running through my head —along with the last moments of my life. I wondered what they would do with my body? What would the story be? Would they cover it up as a robbery gone wrong? Would anyone show up for my funeral?

I knew I would never know the answers, but it was comforting to think about them. Sighing, I closed my eyes and went off into a well deserved slumber.


	2. Shin'ō Academy

**Wax Wings**  
><em>by: Painting Clouds<em>

* * *

><p>Summary: You know the story of the boy Icarus who flew too close to the sun? Well, that's what happened to me. I flew too high, making my wings melt before plummeting to my death. But, maybe dying wasn't really a bad thing. I mean, I did get a second chance, after all. KenpachiOC

* * *

><p>ii.<br>Shin'ō Academy

_I must leave to learn more of my new home._

.

It's been exactly a month since I died, met Shūhei Hisagi, and started living with Kitsumi. Over the course of that time, the old hag had me set in a routine of sorts, making sure that I was up and ready before sunrise and starting on my chores she gave me. Her looks were very deceiving for an old woman; on the outside she looked frail and kind, but really she was harsh and quick as a whip. However, she did have a soft side to her. Sometimes when she was cooking and I was washing the dishes or some other chore, she would tell me I reminded her of her granddaughter. Other times, I would tell her stories of my own.

One day, she had asked me if I had a family back in the Human World.

"I was… I'm not the type to settle down and have kids, ma'am." I didn't look at her as I said this, seeing as though as I could feel her gaze harden. Though, she didn't say anything about my nonexistent family life, which I was grateful for.

Occasionally, when I was done with my chores and Kitsumi felt energetic, we would go to the market to buy food, despite the fact that I was the only one in the house that still needed food to function. I, especially, found it extremely weird that I would find myself getting hungry. It was like I was still alive or something. But I was dead, so why was my body still acting like it was alive? Was my body still trying to get use to being dead? That was ridiculous though. My body was back in the living world, I was nothing but a soul.

So, why?

"Dearie?" Kitsumi's voice rang, grabbing my attention away from the endless sky. My eyes went to her, watching as she paid the salesman with a worried look on her aging face.

"I'm fine," I answered her silent question. She knew that there was something wrong with me; I could see it every time she looked at me when she thought I wasn't watching.

"Well, come along. It's late and I have to start dinner."

Matching my steps with her, we walked back to the house in a compatible silence. It was always like this: quiet and comfortable. Unlike most I've met, Kitsumi wasn't really the talkative type. She had a soothing presence, like the sea. Her anger was like the calm before the storm, and her patience was extremely thin. Although, when she was with me, it always seemed to shorten.

We arrived home in a span of two minutes, and the sun was slowly dipping behind the trees, small beams of light dancing across the ground. I helped Kitsumi prepare dinner. She made carrot soup, something that was never really my favorite when I was alive, but became alright after a while. Or maybe it was the way she made it? The old hag did put spices in it, after all.

It was a few minutes until dinner was ready and I was sitting at the table eating some of the most delicious soup I've ever eaten. Kitsumi sat across from me, watching me from the corner of her eye like she did most nights. Silence fell upon our heads, enfolding us in that strange way. "Ms Kitsumi?" I asked, eyes planted firmly on my bowl.

"Brat?"

I smirked before it fell away. "What's wrong with me?"

Looking up, I saw some kind of expression come upon her face. "What do you mean, dearie?"

I leaned back, crossing my arms. "You know exactly what I mean."

She sighed, giving a weary laugh. "I'm not too sly, am I, child?"

Laughing, I shook my head. "Your reflexes have become slow in your age, ya old hag."

With her twinkling green eyes, she looked at me and uttered, "You're different from the rest of us."

"Really? I had no idea."

She kicked me under the table, a scowl etched on her wrinkled lips. "Don't interrupt me, child." She cleared her throat, signaling me to pay attention. I sat up, leaning on my elbows on the table. "The night Shūhei brought you here, he told me about how he felt your spiritual pressure." She must have sensed my confusion, elaborating more, "Spiritual pressure is a form of Reishi —spirit particles that are the main component material of Souls and spiritual matter. Understand?"

I nodded, albeit hesitantly I might add. Her eyes squinted, giving me a strange look. "Now, spiritual pressure ranges from many forms. The Shinigami—"

"The who now?"

A sound of aspiration came from her weathered lips. "Shinigami are the protectors of this world, keeping balance by killing the Hollows. Now, stop interrupting!" Huffing, I rolled my eyes and clenched my jaw. Seeing that I was going to stay silent, Kitsumi continued, "Now where was I—oh! The Shinigami posses high Reiryoku and bodies of Reishi." She gestured for my hand, and without questions, I let her hold my hand. She ran her thumb over my wrist, the pruned digit digging softly into my skin.  
>"Shūhei-kun believes that you are one of the many who can become a Shinigami."<p>

My gaze turned soft at her sad tone. "How does he know?"

She smirked. "He could sense your spiritual pressure, my dear."

Kitsumi let go of my wrist and got up from her seat, some of her bones cracking as she did so. "There's an academy in the Seireitei district called Shin'ō Academy. For a few years, you will be able to learn how to control your abilities there." The sun had already set as Kitsumi made her way to her room. "I'm turning in for the night, brat. Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams," I replied back, staying rooted in the kitchen chair. The old hag's words kept ringing in my head. So, it wasn't just me? There were others who felt as though they were stuck between life and death? _There's an academy in the Seireitei district called Shin'ō Academy. For a few years, you will be able to learn how to control you abilities there_. I rubbed my eyes, letting the idea roll around in my skull for a moment before making a choice.

Standing, I washed my dish and turned in for the night.

* * *

><p>Kitsumi awoke that morning, the sun peaking through the horizon. The old woman yawned, dressing in one of her many dresses. Once she was done, she walked into the kitchen, looking around for the brat. She saw no one. Walking to the girl's bedroom, Kitsumi still found the house unoccupied but for herself. With a furrowed brow, the woman went back to the kitchen, seeing a small letter lying upon the table, along with a single dandelion. She stared at it for a long time, already knowing what the letter will say. Still, she opened it, a small, sad smile marring her crinkled face.<p>

_Old Hag,_

_I thought about what you said last night and that I wouldn't help you any by just mooching off you. _

_This isn't goodbye, so get that thought out of your head. _

_Sincerely,_

_ Icarus_

Kitsumi laid the letter down, looking out the window at the rising sun. "Brat."

* * *

><p>"Here we are!" I jumped from the wagon, thanking the man who gave me a lift to the academy. "Don't worry about it, young one! Have a nice day."<p>

"You too." Waving goodbye, I set my sights on the institution where I'll be spending the next few years. Here goes nothing. Since I had no idea where to go, I asked for directions. Within the hour, I was standing before a man who told me that I had to take an exam.

"An exam?"

"That's right," he confirmed, looking at the application I filled out. "It's to make sure you have some kind of Reiatsu."

"Oh." However, his expression changed from bored to interested.

"Your Icarus Young?" I nodded. His eyes widened before telling me to stay where I was at and leaving. Not ten seconds later he came back with a schedule and a set of uniforms. "If you would follow me." And I did. He lead me to a room (fit for one), and informed me that orientation would be in a few days and that I would have to show up to see where my classes were. The room would be mine for six years (or less). Then, he left, leaving me to get comfortable.

I mused a nap was in order and the last fleeting thing that ran through my head was of Kitsumi.

* * *

><p><strong>I know the story is going a bit slow but writing these kinds of chapters are a necessity. Well, until next time!<strong>


End file.
